Visas and e-Visa for riders entering Türkiye

Many riders can enter Türkiye with just a passport. Others need a visa, and for most of them that means a short online e-Visa application. Whatever your nationality, the rules on how long you may stay also decide how long your motorcycle may stay.

Check your nationality first

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs keeps a country-by-country list of visa rules. Look up your passport there before you plan anything else. A few examples from that list:

Rules change. Check the list again shortly before you travel, even if you have been to Türkiye before.

The 90-in-180-day rule

All foreign visitors, with or without a visa, are limited to 90 days within any 180 days. The window rolls: on any given day, count back 180 days and add up the days you spent in Türkiye. If you hold two passports, the second one does not give you another 90 days in the same window.

If you want to stay longer, you need a short-term residence permit from the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management.

How the e-Visa works

If your nationality needs a visa for tourism, you can usually get it online as an e-Visa. It covers tourism and business visits only. Work and study visas still go through an embassy or consulate.

• Use only the official site. The one government site is www.evisa.gov.tr. Other websites that offer Turkish e-Visas are not linked to the government. They apply on the official site for you and charge more than twice the fee.
• Type your details exactly as in your passport. An e-Visa with a mistake in your details is invalid, and the fee is not refunded.
• One e-Visa per person. A passenger on your bike needs their own, and so does every child.
• Pay by card. The fee is charged in US dollars by Visa or Mastercard, credit or debit, with 3D Secure and international payments enabled. The amount depends on your nationality.
• Pick your start date carefully. The e-Visa is valid from the date you enter in the application. You can arrive any time after that date within its validity, but not before. If your plans move earlier, you need a new application.
• Print it. Carry a printed copy when you enter and leave, and keep it with you for the whole trip.

Some nationalities get a multiple-entry e-Visa, others a single-entry one. The site shows your terms once you select your country under "Apply Now".

The conditional e-Visa does not work at land borders

Some nationalities, including India, can get a one-month, single-entry e-Visa only if they already hold a valid Schengen, US, UK or Irish visa or residence permit. The Turkish consulate in Los Angeles states that this conditional e-Visa is valid only at airports, not at land border crossings. If this is your situation and you plan to ride in from Greece or Bulgaria, apply for a regular visa at a Turkish consulate instead.

No visa on arrival

Tourist and business visas on arrival at the border ended in April 2014. A handful of nationalities can still get one at an airport, but you should not count on it at a land crossing. Sort out your visa before you set off.

If you cannot use the e-Visa

Apply at a Turkish embassy or consulate. The ministry advises applying at least one month before you travel. Visa fees are not refunded if you are refused, you need medical insurance, and a visa does not guarantee entry.

Passport validity

Turkish law asks for a passport that is valid for at least 60 days beyond your permitted stay. For a 90-day stay that means at least 150 days from your arrival date. Consulate guidance on the e-Visa asks for six months, so aim for that. The UK government also advises having a blank page and making sure the officer stamps and dates your passport at a land border.

Your visa sets your bike's stay

A foreign visitor's motorcycle may not stay in Türkiye longer than its owner may. Without a residence permit, that means the same 90 days in any 180. With a residence permit, the vehicle may stay as long as the permit, up to 730 days. Customs records the bike against your passport at the border; see our checklist for riding into Türkiye for the full rules and the fines for a bike that overstays.

Do not overstay

Overstaying your own permitted stay leads to a fine when you leave, and can lead to an entry ban. A ban means you must apply in person at a Turkish consulate to have it lifted before you can return. Count your days carefully, especially if you ride in and out of Türkiye several times in one season.

Quick checklist

• Checked your nationality on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs list
• e-Visa from evisa.gov.tr only, with details matching your passport, printed
• A separate e-Visa for your passenger
• Not relying on a conditional e-Visa or a visa on arrival at a land border
• Passport valid for at least six months, with a blank page
• Days counted: no more than 90 in any 180, for you and your bike